Ridge 2011 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel

Winemaker Eric Baugher's notes (back label text) -
A late winter and cool spring set back the growing season, pushing bloom well into
June. The nineteenth-century zinfandel set a small crop that ripened by early
October. A six-day fermentation with twice-daily pump-overs provided intense color
and rich tannins. The tannic, red-fleshed alicanteâ€”planted in the 1920s —
was fermented with care, adding an intriguing hint of rusticity to the zinfandel.
This complex wine, like past vintages, will age beautifully over the next seven to
eight years. EB (12/12)

Marketing Materials

History

Since 1991, Ridge has made zinfandel from the
old Pagani vineyard on the east-facing side of
Sonoma Valley. Almost all the vines here were
planted more than a hundred years ago. Pagani
Ranch is a fine example of what we look for in
a vineyard: low-yielding old vines, carefully
tended by a quality-conscious family who, in
this case, have worked the land for four
generations. The vineyard's long survival is
proof of its merit. An average site would have
been abandoned during the thirteen years of
Prohibition, or during the Depression.

Growing Season

Vintage

Harvest Dates: 3 OctoberGrapes: Average Brix 24.9°Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary.
Pressed at six days.Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (25% one year,
55% two and three years old, 20% four years old).Aging: Thirteen months in barrel

Winemaking

Hand harvested Pagani Vineyard grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native
yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; 0.63 grams/liter
calcium carbonate added during fermentation to moderate excessive natural acidity;
minimum effective sulfur added (30 ppm at crush, 67 ppm over the course of aging); aged
in oak barrels; pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal
intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Miscellaneous

Bottle

UPC

Packaged

SRP

Notes

750mL

744442831005

12x750mL

$35

60 cases/pallet (15 per layer)

SRP: suggested retail price per bottle (U.S. dollars)

Press

Vinous Media (July 2013):"The 2011 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is one of the
most overt wines in this range of 2011 Zinfandels from Ridge. Whereas as Geyserville
and Lytton Springs are wines of site, first and foremost, the Pagani Ranch really
screams Zinfandel in its intense, super-ripe fruit. The 2011 is an excellent choice for
drinking over the next handful of years. In 2011 the blend is 78% Zinfandel, 18%
Alicante Bouschet, 3% Petite Sirah and 1% Mataro (Mourvedre)" -Antonio
Galloni (Rated: 90)Read
review online at VinousMedia.com (may require subscription)